M.L.S. Weech's Blog, page 107

JohnCon

John Con ended last night:

It was a great time.  I had a lot of fun.  I have to say the panel was my favorite part.  What was supposed to be an hour-long discussion about getting published became a conversation that lasted well after 1 a.m.  We talked about books, writing, plotting, Brandon Sanderson, magic systems, Robert Jordan, George R. R. Martin, Harry Potter and so much more.  To me, that conversation was the heart of what John Con was about.  It was a chance to sit around and have fun talking about the things I enjoy with like-minded people.  It was a very intimate crowd, but they were all such cool people to meet.  I even tried my hand at a Magic The Gathering draft tournament (I got crushed).  Three days of tabletop games, was just what what this guy needed.  I finished up by selling a few books and saying goodbye to a few new friends.

 

What’s Next:

Next week, I’m at Ukazoo books in Towson.  I’ll be there Sunday, April 19 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.  I hope to see you there.

 

What am I up to?

Some of you noticed I just finished my re-read of Caught, which I plan on releasing next year.  The re-reads give me a chance to look at the book objectively and identify any plot-holes.  Now that I’ve done that, I’ll talk to my content editor (hi Ben!) and get started on the second draft.  I tend to like to have a few projects in a few different stages of development, so here’s what else I’ll be working on:

Perception of War outline:  I’m making progress on this already, but now that I’m not taking so much time to read a project, I can get a bit more progress done.  As soon as I get the outline set, I’ll shift my focus to the next item on my to-do list.

New Utopia re-read:  Now that I’ve had some time to step away from what I call the discovery draft, I can take a look at that and start looking for ways to improve what I think will be a very good book.  This is the lowest priority though.

 

I still have a lot of appearances coming up, and I hope to see some of you at one of those events.

V/R

M.L.S. Weech

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Audio Book Review

Audiobook Review:  Symbiont by Mira Grant

Symbiont is the second part of the Parasitology.  In Parasite, Grant asked some wonderful questions in a brand of what I consider traditional science fiction.  Symbiont picks up where we leave off, and it’s a quality follow-up to the original if not as good.  I’m not a fan of spoilers, so I’ll leave any of those out.

The power of Grant’s story lies in her confronting readers to define what it is to be a person.  Sal, the book’s main character, is a compelling and readers follow the story through her eyes.  Sal is the true power behind the book.  I think that readers who connect with her will find this engaging.  The down-side is that if you’re not interested in her, it could be hard to connect with others.  That’s not to say I don’t have a list of characters I think are fascinating in this story.  Grant does a fantastic job of using characters to drive the story, but a fist-person narrative has that same weak spot.  But, for my money, characters like Adam have such wonderful potential.  I love how Grant pushes each character in new directions.

I don’t think Symbiont is as compelling or intriguing as the first book in the series, but it does build on the original and provide readers a nice little rope-a-dope plot twist that I found very interesting.  I was glad Grant got a nomination for a hugo last year, and though I also voted for Ancillary Justice (second behind The Wheel of Time), I thought Grant’s work was more than worthy of Hugo consideration.  Symbiont is a solid follow-up that leaves readers eagerly waiting for the next book in the series.

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New Online Store!

My new online store has just opened!

You can now order copies of the book directly from me.  To celebrate, I’m offering a sale for the next two days.  Anyone who orders by 12 a.m. Wednesday receives a 15 percent discount on hard-cover books and a 20 percent discount on soft-cover books.

You can click the books link on the side and click on the book, or just click here.

I’ll be happy to autograph any books, just send me an email after you place your order telling me you want your book(s) signed.  Feel free to tell me how you’d like them personalized if you so desire.

I hope to add to this store through the year, but I wanted readers to have one more place to go to buy the book.

V/R

M.L.S. Weech

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Book Launch!

The book launch was today!

 

I met a lot of really great people.  I had the privilege of signing a few autographs and talking about all sorts of great stuff.  I talked about Doctor Who, Video Games, Supernatural, Walking Dead, stand-up comedy, the role of women in comic books and, well obviously, my own book.  I also had an amazing conversation with a young artist about chasing dreams and the value of a good education.  Check out my blog to see a few images.  All in all, I was so happy to meet people and talk about the thing I’ve been dreaming of doing my whole life.  I hope to meet even more during my next visit to Twilight Zone Comics on April 1.

 

On that note.  The staff at Twilight Zone Comics was absolutely amazing!  They gave me a wonderful, prime location and a table with room to work.   Even more amazing, they gave me a chance to introduce myself to readers and new people.  We talked a bit about comic book stores.  I was blessed to have a  shop to hang out with growing up.  I’ve said as much on my Facebook page.  I have so many great memories of that place.  (Including the friendship I made with the man who became my brother-in-law.  That same man did the chapter icons for The Journals of Bob Drifter.)  So it’ll be impossible to rival the place with so many happy memories.  The point is, Twilight Zone Comics has that feel.  An owner who loves comics and meeting people.   Customers who want to see cool stuff and read great comics.  I look forward to the next few events I have there.

 

 

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